Joy Myers

Joy (Joy Bound) Myers

March 1, 1996 – June 14, 2006

It is often said that timing is everything. How lucky we were that our lovely Joy became available for a bounce placement at exactly the time we decided to adopt our first greyhound. I believe it was love at first sight for Joy and for us … a love that grew deeper with each day until her last. Our beautiful fawn girl, with her warm brown eyes, captured the hearts of all who knew her. She loved our daily walks in the neighborhood and through Highland Park; she loved Meet and Greets (as long as I was close by); she loved sleeping so close to Gary's side of the bed that he nearly stepped on her every night; and she loved the forbidden act of sleeping on the furniture when we weren't home and, sometimes when we were. She loved to race around her back yard, swerving to within an inch of anyone standing there and then dashing off again. Joy didn't care much for dog food as she never really believed she was a dog; and she gained her well-known matronly figure as a result.

We always told Joy that she missed the email that outlined usual greyhound behavior. She barked joyously at every opportunity: when seeing another dog on our walks, when anyone she didn't know came into the house or, heaven forbid, rang the doorbell. We still cringe when the doorbell rings even though Joy is no longer here to answer it.

Joy shared a very special love with our dear friend, Maureen Whitsell, who died of cancer last February. She would often sit quietly beside Maureen who was suffering the effects of chemotherapy and offer that peaceful presence that only a greyhound can give. Joy gave unconditional love and support as I began to grieve Maureen's death and then, as timing would have it, disclosed her own illness (kidney failure) to us just a month later. It has given me tremendous comfort to think that Joy and Maureen are together again, taking care of one another while we remember them so lovingly.

Gary and I and our family are grateful to Joy for the gift of being her forever family … and thankful to GAGR for all their loving friendship during her life and particularly at her death. She was our very special Joyful girl who will live on in our hearts and memories forever.